Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #20

Western Australia Rangelands Conservation Initiative Site #20 is a human-induced regeneration project located in the Upper Gascoyne region of Western Australia, inland from Carnarvon. The project is managed by Terra Carbon Pty Limited. It was registered in September 2021 and covers 114,130.19 ha.

Human-induced regeneration projects involve establishing permanent native forests by changing land management practices to allow native trees to regenerate. Standard requirements dictate that the regenerating vegetation must have the potential to reach forest cover, typically defined as at least two meters in height and a minimum of 20% crown cover.

The Upper Gascoyne area is predominantly known for large pastoral leases used for cattle and sheep grazing. The environment is semi-arid with low average rainfall of between 200mm and 400mm and high evaporation rates. Soils generally consist of extensive flats and gently sloping plains with surface quartz gravels, alongside hard alkaline and neutral red soils.

This project establishes permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, including rootstock and lignotubers, on land that was previously cleared of vegetation and where regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years. To support this regeneration, the project controls the timing and extent of livestock grazing and manages feral animals in a humane manner. In June 2023, the project underwent a variation where specific areas were removed from the original project boundary.